


Running

by sabaceanbabe



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-24
Updated: 2010-04-24
Packaged: 2017-10-09 03:15:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/82429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabaceanbabe/pseuds/sabaceanbabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>She runs silently down the mostly dark and gray metal hallway.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Running

She runs silently down the mostly dark and gray metal hallway. It's not so much that her movements are silent, more that she makes no deliberate sound beyond that of the pounding of her bare feet on the rough, cold metal – slap slap slap slap. The children behind her all shout things and giggle and push at each other, trying to catch up to her. She laughs silently, knowing the only way they'll catch her is if she falls, and that won't happen.

The last time she fell, the Angel Lady was sad and she never wants the Angel Lady to be sad again. Her mother calls her something else when she talks about her, but the only thing that's right, as far as Kacey is concerned, is to call her Angel. Kacey doesn't talk anymore, not since they left the dirt. Not since the Angel Lady made the scary man go away and brought her back to her mama. Because then the Angel Lady went away. Kacey doesn't want to talk to the other kids or her mama; she wants the Angel Lady to come back.

The other kids' shouts and giggles and pounding footsteps are farther away now, not as loud, and Kacey knows that when she turns the corner up ahead, they'll never ever be able to catch her. Not those other kids and not the scary man. And so Kacey runs even faster – slapslapslap slapslapslap.

She is smiling and breathing hard and fast, looking behind her to make sure the others won't see where she's gone, when she slams into something both soft and hard.

"Whoa, there, nugget, not so fast." Hands grip her shoulders, preventing her from running away and she looks up, although she doesn't have to look up too far, because the big person holding her in place has crouched down so her face is level with Kacey's.

Blue eyes wide, Kacey makes a silent "O" with her mouth, surprised. For a second they just look at each other, Kacey and her Angel Lady, and then Kacey throws herself at her Angel, arms around her neck and face buried in her soft hair, all short now. Not long like Kacey's, the way it was before.

The Angel Lady's arms close around Kacey, folding her up in warmth and safety. She whispers against Kacey's neck, "It's okay, Kacey, I've got you." Her breath against Kacey's skin tickles and she smiles into her Angel Lady's hair. She remembers the name her mama calls her, then.

"Kara," she says, trying it out to see if it works.

The Angel Lady pushes her back, but just a little bit, just so she can look at Kacey and smile. "Yeah, Kacey, it's me. It's Kara." And then she hugs her close again and Kacey doesn't even care that she hears the other kids shouting and laughing as they catch up to her.


End file.
